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The European Union strengthens its regional and local dimension Territorial cohesion
Europe respects explicitly the principle of regional and local selfgovernment. There are now four levels to the subsidiarity principle: the EU has to respect not only national, but also regional and local competences. Territorial cohesion to harmonise economic and social development becomes a fundamental aim of the EU. The European Commission has to consult widely and consider regional and local dimensions before proposing new legislative acts. The burden at regional and local level, whether financial or administrative, of all new EU legislation has to be analysed and minimised. National and regional parliaments have greater scrutiny over EU legislation through an early warning system.
The changes the Lisbon Treaty brings for the Committee of the Regions
To bring it in line with the European Parliaments mandate, the Committees mandate extends from four to five years. Its President and Bureau will sit for two-and-a-half years. The Committee is now involved throughout the whole legislative process as consultation is mandatory, not only for the European Commission and the Council of Ministers, but also for the European Parliament. The Committee has the right to bring legal actions before the Court of Justice to protect its powers or to annul EU legislation that infringes on subsidiarity by not respecting regional and local competences.
European Commission adopts legislative proposal and must consult the CoR
Pre-legislative phase European Commission evaluates policy options and prepares legislative proposal
EU institutions start discussing legislative proposal. The EP and the Council are obliged to consult the CoR
New procedures
Consultation is mandatory for all EU laws in the areas of economic, social and territorial cohesion; transEuropean networks; transport, telecommunications and energy; public health; education and youth; culture; employment; social policy; environment; vocational training and climate change. The European Parliament, the Council or the Commission can choose to consult the CoR in any other area, and should do so, in particular, in those cases concerning cross-border cooperation. The CoR may issue an opinion on its own initiative in cases in which it considers such action appropriate. The Committee has adapted its procedures to incorporate the legal changes that Lisbon brings. Greater presence in the EUs legislative process: CoR commissions will be able to redraft opinions, enabling them to react quickly and appropriately to discussions between the European Commission, Parliament or Council. Actions at the European Court of Justice: to protect the Committees powers and to annul EU legislation infringing on subsidiarity, actions can be launched either through a majority vote in the plenary session or, in the case of urgent action, a decision by the Bureau.
If we are to address the complex challenges facing us, all the players in society the European institutions, national, regional and local authorities, the social partners and civil society must act together in order to move forward in the same direction. It is only in partnership that we can make Europe progress
Jose Manuel Barroso, European Commission President
Under the new process, the Committee takes a pro-active role before the Commission tables a proposal for new legislation. At this stage, the Committee is an intermediary between regional and local authorities and the Commission in assessing social, economic and regional impacts. The framework for this is set by the provisions on enhanced consultation enshrined in the Treaty and an existing cooperation agreement between the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions. The Committee will work with national, regional and local authorities and with associations of regions and cities in analysing the local and regional impacts of EU laws, as well as ensuring that member states apply them correctly.
Once the Commission has made a formal legislative proposal, the Committees opinions will put more emphasis on determining the proposals compatibility with the subsidiarity principle. The CoR will cooperate with national and regional parliaments and use its subsidiarity monitoring platform to channel input from regions and local authorities throughout Europe into its opinions. The CoR will also ask the Commission to respect its right to be re-consulted should the nature of proposals be significantly changed during the legislative process. The Committees ability to challenge legislation in the European courts will further influence the Commission to ensure that the Committees opinions are built into proposals before they become law.
Subsidiarity: the principle that decisions must be taken as closely as possible to citizens. This means that in areas of shared competence, action should only be taken at an EU level if the policy aims cannot be achieved at local, regional or national level, and can be better achieved at Union level. Subsidiarity is linked to the proportionality principle, which states that EU actions must be limited only to what is necessary to achieve the aims set by the EU treaty. If there are a number of options, the EU should take the actions that give national, regional and local authorities the most freedom.
We need the regional input into the European lawmaking process, as local and regional authorities represent, very often, the level where this legislation is implemented.
With the possibility to revise its opinions after changes made by the EU Institutions, the Committee will be able to follow political discussions in the European Parliament President, Jerzy Buzek Parliament, advise its rapporteurs and react promptly to political developments. Through this process, the relationship between the Committee and the Parliament will become more concrete and political. Under a new early warning procedure, the European Parliament can stop legislative proposals by a simple majority vote if a majority of national parliaments have raised objections over subsidiarity. When the Committee shares the concerns of the national parliaments, it will ensure that they are followed through in the European Parliament. The Council has a similar power to reject proposals.
In the main, there are two instances when the Committee can initiate legal action in the European Court of Justice: if an EU law does not respect the subsidiarity principle and particularly violates regional and local competences; if, during the legislative procedure, the EU Institutions bypassed the Committee and neglected its institutional rights
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